


Oh What A Christmas (To Have The Blues)

by Dee_in_between



Series: Crybaby Verse [4]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Presents, Daryl doesn't believe in Santa, Daryl gets a real Christmas, Gen, Infantilism, M/M, Multi, Non-Sexual Age Play, Pacifier - Freeform, until he does
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-17 18:05:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16979307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dee_in_between/pseuds/Dee_in_between
Summary: “Why are we even talkin’ about snow when a certain little boy ain’t even written his letter to Santa yet,” Shane said, looking at Daryl expectantly. “You’re cuttin’ it close here, kiddo. Ain’t givin’ Santa much time to put somethin’ together for ya.”Daryl shook his head. “Ain’t writin’ no letter.” He took a sip of his cocoa, the foam clinging to his upper lip until he licked it away. “Santa ain’t even real.” The room went silent, everyone looking surprised at his declaration.“Wh-why of course he is, Sugar,” Nana said, recovering first. “Why would you think that?”Daryl shrugged. “He ain’t never come before.”





	1. Chapter 1

“Hold on now. We gotta put some on the other side too or it’ll tip over.”

“That’s Nana’s side,” Daryl told Rick, hanging another ornament on his half of the tree. Rick gave the boy a fond smile, sitting on the sofa in a green sweater with a giant rudolph face on the front. There was a fire in the fireplace. The banisters were wrapped with garland and white, twinkling lights. The normal throw pillows had been replaced with ones sporting snowflakes and snowmen and beautiful poinsettias. There were real live ones in the front windows, red and big and beautiful that Daryl had gone with Nana himself to help pick out. The whole house looked like a picture from a catalogue, stockings hanging by the fire and all. They even had two extra ones hung there. Nana and Herschel were going to be staying for Christmas Eve and Daryl couldn’t wait.

His Daddy reached into the tote between his knees and plucked out a glittery bauble, painted with a snowy landscape. Daryl immediately made grabby hands for the sparkling ornament. “Ah-ah. This one’s glass. That means Nana hangs it, remember?” 

Daryl pouted, not happy that it wouldn’t get to go on his side of the tree. “But it’s pretty, Daddy.”

“And that’s why we don’t want it to get broken,” Rick told him. “Besides, you gotta let Nana have some so we can balance it out. It’s leaning already.” Daryl turned and frowned when he noticed Rick was right. The seven foot Nordmann Fir was certainly looking a little more curved toward Daryl’s side than when they’d put it up and Nana’s side wasn’t nearly as pretty yet. 

“Why don’t you help me, Sugar,” Nana asked, taking the ball from Rick and going to her side of the tree. “Where do you think is a good place for it?” 

Daryl stared at Nana’s side thoughtfully, looking over all the empty spaces and ornaments near them. There were candy canes they’d made out of beads and pipe cleaners when Maggie and Glenn had come with their own little one to babysit. There were Santas, penguins, gingerbread wreaths and snowflakes and people they’d all made the night before. It was all surrounded by colorful lights and tinsel and the popcorn string that made Papa poke himself until he said a bad word. Nana had told him to let Herschel finish it. “He’s good with his hands,” she’d told them, giving Herschel a funny little smile. Daddy and Papa had looked a little green and Herschel turned pink. Daryl didn’t get it but he had just shaken his head, resigned to the fact that grown ups were weird and went back to pouring glittery sugar on every cookie he could reach. 

Finally, Daryl pointed to a space between a snowman and a penguin. “There,” he announced, sounding certain. “Cause they live in the snow.” 

Nana agreed and hung it in the space, leaving it to dangle between the two and Daryl smiled proudly. They continued on, Daryl happily helping Nana fill her side of the tree now as everyone chattered to each other. Shane came in with a tray of mugs held in his bandaged fingers and announced that it was time for a cocoa break. Daryl didn’t want to stop decorating but the lure of the marshmallows proved too much for him and he wandered over to sit on the floor by the coffee table. 

“Here ya go, bud,” Shane said, setting the special, snowman shaped mug in front of Daryl. “Give it a minute to cool down first.” 

“Fank ya, Papa,” Daryl answered. He picked up the mug and watched as the marshmallows melted more and more, birthing a sweet, sticky layer of foam on top of the warm chocolate. It warmed his hands and he hummed contentedly at the sensation. “Are we gonna get to build a snowman,” he asked.

Rick looked apologetic as he took a sip from his own mug. “I don’t know about that, sweetness. It usually doesn’t get cold enough for snow here.” That was disappointing. Of course it hadn’t snowed any other winter in Daryl’s life but this year felt different. He was going to get a real Christmas and real Christmases had snow. Daryl had been looking forward to snowmen and snowball fights, catching flakes on his tongue. 

“Why are we even talkin’ about snow when a certain little boy ain’t even written his letter to Santa yet,” Shane said, looking at Daryl expectantly. “You’re cuttin’ it close here, kiddo. Ain’t givin’ Santa much time to put somethin’ together for ya.”

Daryl shook his head. “Ain’t writin’ no letter.” He took a sip of his cocoa, the foam clinging to his upper lip until he licked it away. “Santa ain’t even real.” The room went silent, everyone looking surprised at his declaration.

“Wh-why of course he is, Sugar,” Nana said, recovering first. “Why would you think that?”

Daryl shrugged. “He ain’t never come before.”

That seemed to give the adults in the room pause. Rick and Shane shared a look, neither knowing how to answer that. Dottie looked sad, fingers pressed to her tight lips. It was so easy to forget what Daryl’s life had been like before they made him a part of theirs. The thought of a young Daryl, small and lonely, watching all the other kids talk about what Santa had brought them while he had nothing...it was heartbreaking. It was Herschel who spoke this time, leaning forward in the arm chair and resting his hands on his knees. 

“Let me ask you this,” he started. Daryl watched the old man intently as he spoke. “You say that Santa’s never come before. Have you ever sent him a letter before?” 

That caught Daryl by surprise and he shook his head. He’d never sent a letter to Santa before. It hadn’t been allowed. The one time he’d tried, Merle had laughed at him and Daryl had been so embarrassed he’d crumpled and burned it himself. He shook his head. Herschel gave a soft smile, his eyes bright with kindness. “Then how is he supposed to come if he doesn’t know what to bring you?” That...made sense, Daryl thought. Santa brought good kids things they asked for. But if you didn’t ask for anything…

“You really think he’ll come?” Daryl looked at the adults in the room hopefully.

“Of course, baby,” Rick told him. “You’re such a good boy. There’s no way Santa wouldn’t come.”

Daryl paused and looked into his mug as he thought. So if he wrote a letter, Santa would come. But the question was, what did he want? He already had a family that loved him. He had a nice warm house to live in where the water was always hot and the lights were always on. He had his own bed and lots of toys. “Can I think about it,” he asked.

Shane nodded. “Of course, bud. Just don’t take too long. Christmas is only a few days away and Santa’s gotta have time to make things happen.” Daryl nodded and immediately set about draining his mug of cocoa. He could think about it for a little bit and right now they had a tree to finish. 

\------------------------------------

It turned out that figuring out the first thing he wanted was easy enough. He wanted a white Christmas. Even Daryl realized that snow here might even be out of Santa’s control and he didn’t want to set the man up for failure with his very first letter. He wanted to think of a second thing to ask for but he found himself stuck again. Even though the list wasn’t quite coming together yet there was still a lot of preparations to make. Making cookies was Daryl’s favorite job so far. Papa and Daddy had to go to work today but Nana was never in short supply of fun. 

Daryl sat on the stool at the kitchen counter, kicking his feet while he licked the remnants of sugar cookie dough from a wooden spoon. Nana finished wrapping the dough in plastic wrap and took it to the fridge. The recipe said it had to be cold. Nana told him it helped the shapes stay better and Daryl wanted them to look nice for Santa. 

“Alright, my little cookie elf,” she said, coming back to the countertop with a smile. She stood with her hands on her hips, shaking her head fondly at the mess Daryl had made of his mouth. “After we get all that sticky goo off, what kind should we make next?”

Daryl pulled over the stack of papers Nana had brought. He got to pick out five different kinds of cookies to make and so far they’d only done the sugar cookies and what Daryl had called chocolate party cookies. They were just like chocolate chip except they had three different kinds of chocolate and two kinds of nuts. He looked through the pictures, finding one that caught his eye immediately. They looked like reindeer with pretzels for antlers, chocolate chip eyes and candy noses. “Dat one! They’s just like Santa’s!” 

Dottie smiled as she pulled the paper out of the pile and looked over the instructions. “Oh, I remember these,” she answered fondly. “They were your Daddy’s favorite. He begged me to make them every year when he was a boy.”

“They’re Daddy’s favorite,” Daryl asked excitedly. 

“Oh yes. I had to keep smackin’ his hands away from the bowl of candies or the poor things would’ve been noseless.”

Daryl giggled. “Papa’s still gotta. He says Daddy tastes too much.” 

Dottie sighed, wiping her hands on her apron. “Those boys haven’t changed a bit. Always makin’ trouble.”

Daryl tried to duck away when Nana came after him with a wet washrag but she was real good at getting around his defenses when it came to cleaning him up. She got his face cleaned off and took the now empty spoon from Daryl's hand.   
“Daddy and Papa was naughty,” Daryl asked, feeling as though he was being let in on a secret. 

“Oh, of course they were,” Nana laughed. “All little boys get into mischief from time to time but those two made an art of it. Ever since they met in the third grade, they've been stuck like glue.” Daryl was immediately entranced. The idea of his daddies, police officers, being bad was an enticing one and he wanted to know more.

“What kinda stuff did they do?”

Dottie laughed as she gathered the supplies for the reindeer cookies. “Oh, they got into all sorts of trouble. Shane was usually the brains of it all but Rick was right there with him. They would follow each other into anything. There was the time they filled the principal’s car with chickens,” she said, shaking her head fondly. “They set pigs loose in the halls as a senior prank too. Another time they took your Grandad’s truck to sneak out and meet a couple ‘a girls in the middle of the night.” Daryl tilted his head curiously.

“But Daddy and Papa love each other. Why was they meetin’ up with girls?”

“Well, they hadn’t quite figured that out yet,” Nana told him. “They were best friends for a long time before they realized they loved each other like that.”

A time when his daddies weren’t together? The whole idea just seemed wrong to Daryl. They were supposed to be together forever and they were meant to be with him forever. The mere thought of a time when they weren’t a family felt so foreign to him now and Daryl didn’t ever want to have to become familiar with it. He kicked his feet as he watched Nana start to measure ingredients and decided it was better to focus on cookies. The phone trilled in its cradle on the counter and Dottie floated over to it. 

“Walsh-Grimes residence,” she answered, pinning it between her ear and shoulder to gently bat Daryl’s hands away from the mixing bowl. “Just a moment. He’s right here. Phone’s for you, Sugar.” Daryl’s eyes lit up as he took the phone from his Nana who went back to work. He held it to his ear excitedly. 

“Hi, Merle!”

“Hey, kid,” Merle shouted. “What you been up to?”

“M’makin’ cookies!” Daryl announced cheerfully. “They look like reindeers when you decorate ‘em. And last night we did the tree and everythin’! Daddy and Papa says Santa’s gonna come but only if I send ‘em a letter and I dunno what to ask for.”

“How ‘bout that dog you were always beggin’ for?” Merle suggested. “You were always tryna bring some mangy mutt to the house. Now you got one where you can keep it.”

Daryl gasped in surprise. He hadn’t even thought of that! A lifetime of being told no had all but wiped the idea from his mind but Merle was right. They had a big house and a yard for a dog to play in and everything. 

“I gotta go put it on my list right now!” Daryl hopped down from the stool and rushed to the play room where he’d kept his list pinned up to a corkboard so he didn’t lose it. “Are you gonna help me name it, Merle?”

“Gotta see a thing to name it,” Merle told him. Daryl started scribbling a hastily drawn dog onto the paper with a black marker.

“But you can see it when I open it,” Daryl said.

“How do you figure that?”

“When you come for Christmas. Duh.”

Merle went quiet. Daryl didn’t like that quiet.

“You’re comin’ for Christmas, aint’cha, Merle?”

“No can do, little brother,” Merle said. “I’m across the country in Vegas.”

“But it’s Christmas,” Daryl said softly. “We’re all s’posta be together on Christmas.”

Merle sighed and Daryl bit his lip, tugging at the hem of his shirt. “You gotta come, Merle. You gotta.”

“Daryl, there ain’t no way I’m makin’ a three day drive in two days.”

Daryl sniffed, shuffling his feet and staring at the carpet. “S’okay,” he said softly. “I hope you have fun. I’ll miss you.” 

There was a long stretch of silence and Daryl was worried for a moment that he’d somehow made his brother angry at him. Finally, Merle spoke again, his voice stilted.

“I’ll call ya again, little brother. You be good now.”

Daryl hung up the phone and sat down on the rug feeling sorry for himself. He was supposed to have all his family here for Christmas. It just wouldn’t be right to have his first good Christmas without his brother. Daryl wiped at his eye and sighed. It shouldn’t surprise him. Merle was a wanderer by nature. Still, he couldn’t help feeling sad. He looked up at the dog he’d drawn on his Christmas list below and just to the right of a flurry of snowflakes. He might name it after Merle so even when his brother was gone, he’d still be there. Something in Daryl’s brain clicked and his eyes went wide. His list! 

Daryl hurried to his feet, grabbing his crayons and scribbling fiercly at the page. It was hastily drawn but recognizable and Daryl decided it was good enough. He yanked it down off the board and folded it, stuffed it into the red envelope Papa and Daddy had given him and ran to the kitchen. 

“Nana! Nana!”

“What! What’s wrong?!” Nana whirled around in a panic, her eyes darting over every inch of him.

“We gotta send my letter to Santa,” Daryl shouted. “We gotta send it right now!”

“Oh, Sugar,” Dottie breathed. She sagged against the counter in relief, hand over her hammering heart. “You are gonna give Nana a heart attack. Don’t scare me like that. You and your daddies can send it when they get home.”

“No,” Daryl protested. “We gotta do it now or Santa might not get it in time and then he won’t know what to bring and he won’t come! We gotta send it Nana! We gotta!”

“Alright, sugar, alright. Settle down,” she placated. “It’s alright. Santa’s gonna get your letter.”

“But we gotta make sure,” Daryl whimpered, close to tears now. This was his last hope. If Santa didn’t get his letter in time then there would be no Christmas again. He wanted so badly to have a real Christmas. 

Seeing his upset, Dottie was thrown. She hesitated, battling with herself before looking guiltily at him.

“Alright, Hon. We’ll send it. Just take a deep breath for me now.” Daryl breathed deep through his nose, held it like Miss Michonne showed him and slowly let it out. “Good. Are you feeling better now?” Daryl nodded. 

“Can we send it now, Nana? Please, please, please?” 

“Alright. Come on and we’ll put it in the mailbox.”

She took Daryl by the hand and the two of them walked out to the porch but Daryl didn’t stop there. He led Nana of the front stoop and down to the street corner where a postage box sat. 

“Sugar, I don’t know if that’s-”

Before she had the chance to finish, Daryl had already slipped his letter inside and closed the hatch. There was no getting it back now. Daryl bit his lip, crossing his fingers that his letter would make it to the North Pole in time.


	2. Chapter 2

Rick and Shane were at a loss. They had no idea what Daryl had put on his Christmas list. Dottie had felt so guilty for sending the letter without them but Daryl had been so distraught she didn’t know what else to do. It wasn’t her fault and they weren’t upset with her but now, how would they know what to get Daryl. They had all assured him Santa would come if he wrote a letter and now they didn’t know what to do to show him it had worked. Shane and Rick tried to get it out of him on several occasions but he refused to tell them. 

“It’s like birthday wishes,” Daryl told them confidently. “If you tell then it don’t come true.”

Come Christmas Eve, Rick and Shane were still clueless and more worried than ever. Daryl had been glued to the window seat all day, staring as if St. Nick himself was going to come walking up their driveway. 

“Daryl,” Rick called gently. The boy turned to face him with a hum of acknowledgement. “What are you looking for, sweetheart?”

“Can’t tell ya,” Daryl answered and turned back to the window. 

“Well ya’know, Santa don’t come until tonight when you’re in bed,” Shane told him. “Come on. Let’s watch some Christmas movies. You like Rudolph.”

Daryl couldn’t stop a smile. He did like Rudolph. Especially Hermie. It was silly for an elf to be a dentist but he did it anyway and Daryl liked that about him. 

“Can we have hot chocolate?”

“We sure can,” Rick told him. With a smile, Daryl hopped down from the sill of the bay window and hugged his daddies tight. 

They curled up together on the sofa, Nana and Hershel joining them as they watched Rudolph save Christmas yet again. The abominable snowman was still a little scary in the beginning and Daryl would hide his face against Rick or Shane's shoulder. When the movie was over Daryl had somehow ended up on the floor, leaning on the coffee table with his chin in his hands. It was his favorite Christmas movie but Santa Claus is Coming to Town was a close second. He tried and failed to hold back a yawn, making the grown ups smile fondly.

“What do you say we put out the cookies for Santa?” Rick asked, brushing Daryl's hair out of his eyes. “Then I think you can open your very special Christmas Eve present.”

Daryl lit up, looking up at Rick and Shane from the floor. “I get a Christmas Eve present?”

“Just one,” Shane told him firmly though a smile tugged at the corners of his lips and betrayed his own excitement.

“It's tradition,” Nana told him from her spot curled up against Hershel's side. 

Daryl laughed excitedly and got to his feet, going to the kitchen with his daddies following close behind.

“You can pick out five cookies for Santa,” Rick told him. Daryl immediately set about looking for the five best cookies of them all. He got to put them on a special plate shaped like a reindeer while Papa poured out a glass of milk. 

“Wait!” Daryl ran over when Shane went to put the gallon back, digging through the refrigerator.

“What are you lookin’ for, Puppy?”

Daryl stood up straight again, holding two big carrots aloft proudly.

“You hate carrots,” Shane said, raising an eyebrow at Daryl curiously.

“No, Papa,” Daryl explained, rolling his eyes. “S'fer the reindeers. They should get a snack too.”

They two men smiled affectionately at their boy. He really was the sweetest thing. 

“That's very thoughtful, sweetheart,” Rick told him. “I'm sure they'll appreciate that you thought about them.”

Daryl took his time arranging plate, glass and carrots until he was happy with the appearance. He wanted to make a good impression on Santa for his first visit. Rick and Shane finally ushered him away from plating and got him back into the living room, guiding him to sit under the tree. 

“Alright. Here ya go, sport,” Shane said, handing him a neatly wrapped box with a green bow affixed to the top right corner. Daryl looked at it reverently, eyes wide and sparkling. He ran his fingers over the smooth, candy striped paper as if he wasn't entirely convinced it was real. 

“Go ahead. Open it,” Rick encouraged.

Daryl looked up at his daddies, seeing the pair of them watching excitedly as if this was just as fun for them. 

“I never had one before.” He looked back at the box. “It's really mine?”

“All yours, sweetheart,” Rick reassured him.

Shane put an arm around Rick's shoulders. “We picked it out just for you.”

Daryl took a deep breath, biting his lip and then cautiously tore at the paper. He could see colors underneath and Daryl smiled. He tore at the paper excitedly, quickly revealing a rectangular box with a cartoon polar bear on the front. 

“I love it!” He hugged the box to his chest tightly. The adults in the room were caught between fawning over and laughing affectionately at his reaction.

“Bubba, the present's in the box,” Rick told him. 

“There's more?” Daryl looked up at them in awe at the idea there was even more to the present. 

“Yeah, sport,” Shane reassured. “Go ahead. See what you got.”

Daryl placed the box on the floor and carefully lifted the lid off. What was inside made Daryl gasp in delight. He quickly grabbed the soft fabric and held it up. The fuzzy, brown onesie had a cream colored patch on the belly and a hood with reindeer antlers, big eyes and a red nose. 

“Rudoff jammies!” He jumped to his feet and danced excitedly in place. “I wanna wear 'em right now!”

Rick and Shane smiled affectionately. “Alright, alright,” Rick told him. “But are sure you got everything?”

Daryl looked back down at the box and saw one more thing sitting inside. He handed Rick the onesie and picked it up, looking at the picture of a train on the front. 

“It's a new bedtime story,” Shane told him. “Polar Express.” 

Daryl smiled at the book happily. “Can we read it tonight?”

“Of course, baby. That's why we had you open it tonight” Rick took Daryl's hand and squeezed it. “They're your Christmas jammies and Christmas story.”

“I love ‘em. Thank you so much Papa and Daddy.” Daryl hugged them both tightly. They hugged him back. 

“You're very welcome, Puppy,” Shane told him. “Let's go upstairs so we can get you all snuggled in and read you your book.”

Daryl hugged and kissed Nana and Hershel goodnight and followed his daddies upstairs. After his bath, they got him all bundled up in his new jammies and he snuggled up in the rocking chair with Papa. They rocked lazily back and forth while Daddy read them his new story book. As excited as he was, the usual bedtime routine was a force to be reckoned with and Daryl was feeling heavy and sleepy when they laid him down. He yawned wide and hugged his Pupper tight.

“Do ya think Santa got my letter in time?” He asked sleepily.

The two of them shared a nervous look that Daryl missed, his eyes already closed. 

“I'm sure he did, bud,” Shane told him. His stomach twisted thinking of Daryl searching Christmas morning for the one thing that wasn't there. 

“Get some sleep, sweetness,” Rick said, leaning down to kiss Daryl’s forehead. Shane did the same and they left Daryl to drift off.

_____________________________

Daryl stirred sleepily, rubbing at his eyes and looking around his room. It was early. Early enough to go back to sleep for a little bit longer, he thought. He hunkered down with Pupper and closed his eyes, ready to sleep just a bit more. Then something flopped over into his face. Daryl pushed the fuzzy, stuffed antler back and yawned. He had almost drifted off again when he suddenly gasped and sat bolt upright.

“It’s Christmas!”

Daryl climbed out of the crib on his own, something he had never done before but in the excitement it didn’t occur to him to do otherwise. He ran and threw open his bedroom door, bolting across the hall and bursting through Rick and Shane’s door. His daddies startled awake, Shane holding up a gun that wasn’t there out of reflex but Daryl took no notice and made a flying leap onto their bed. He landed over top of them both, oblivious to their groans on impact, and scrambled up between them. 

“Wake up! Wake up! It’s Christmas!” He bounced excitedly on his knees. “It’s Christmas! Wake up! Wake up!”

“Good morning to you too.” Rick laughed tiredly and leaned up to give Daryl a kiss. Shane sighed in relief and ran a palm down his face.

“Try’na give your Papa a heart attack for Christmas?”

Daryl smiled and snuggled up on his back in between them. Rick slung an arm around him and pressed his cheek to Daryl’s head. 

“It’s pretty early, sweetness,” he told him. He and Shane had been up late, making sure everything was just perfect for their baby’s first Christmas. 

“Yeah. Santa prolly ain’t even back to the North Pole yet,” Shane yawned before curling around Daryl’s other side. 

“But s’Christmas,” Daryl told them again, sounding exasperated. Did they not grasp the concept of Christmas? “We gotta get up and see if Santa came.”

Rick hummed sleepily in agreement and Shane sighed. “Alright, alright,” Shane placated. “We’re up.” 

Daryl let out a cheer as the pair of them sat up. He scrambled down to the foot of the bed and off, hugging pupper and dancing excitedly in place as Rick and Shane rolled out of bed. Rick pulled on a plain T-shirt to go with the flannel sleep pants and Shane pulled on his own flannels and an old police academy shirt. By the time they were dressed, Daryl looked ready to vibrate out of his skin. 

“You ready, bubba?

“I been ready forever, Daddy,” Daryl groaned. His daddies laughed lightly and Rick held out his arms for him. Daryl let himself be picked up and carried even though his legs were restless with anticipation. They came down the stairs and Daryl’s eyes went wide and bright as he took in the sight under the tree. There was a mountain of wrapped boxes beneath its boughs, twinkling lights reflected in the shiny ribbons.

“What do you think, sport?” Shane asked.

Daryl couldn't tear his eyes away from the pile. His voice was soft and awe struck. “They're for me?”

“All for you, baby,” Rick told him. “Which one do you wanna open first?”

Daryl bit his lip and stared. There was so much! Where was he supposed to start? He squirmed nervously in his Daddy's arms, hiding his face against his shoulder. Shane chuckled softly and rubbed Daryl's back. 

“You want us to pick one for ya, bud? Get you started?”

Daryl nodded. Rick carried him over and sat him down on the floor beside the tree. The pile looked even bigger up close. It was almost taller than him. Shane sat across from him and took one of the smaller gifts off the top.

“This one's from Glenn and Maggie,” Shane told him. Daryl took the package in his hands and stared at it for a moment, looking over the shape and feeling the weight of it. 

“What's wrong, baby?” Rick asked.

“M'guessin,” Daryl told him. “Feels like a big book.”

“Well open it and you’ll know,” Shane told him, poking his belly playfully.

Daryl giggled and pushed Shane’s hand away. He tore at the paper, revealing a box with a transparent lid. Inside was colored paper. Daryl tilted his head curiously and tore off the rest of the paper. There was a picture of a paper bird in the lower corner, the top left labeled with a word Daryl hadn’t seen before. 

“Whas that say,” he asked, holding it up to Daddy. 

“It says Origami,” Rick told him happily. “It’s a kit that shows you how to make paper animals.”

Daryl smiled and held it in his lap. That sounded like so much fun! “Can I make one now?”

“Why don’t we finish opening your presents first?” Shane handed him another wrapped box. Daryl took it happily and started to open it. 

“Now I know I don’t hear wrapping paper when none a my boys came to wake me.” Dottie came down the stairs, helping Hershel make his way down and shooting a look at Rick and Shane each in turn. 

“Nana!” Daryl cheered and held up his first present to show them. “Look what Maggie and Glenn got me! It’s ora...uri...oriri...paper animals!”

Dottie smiled. “That’s wonderful, Sugar.”

She and Hershel went to sit on the couch, Hershel sinking into the sofa with a sigh of relief. Daryl held the box aloft t show him too. The old man smiled and tapped the box with his cane. “You think you can make me a bird like that for my desk in my office?”

“Yeah! I can make some for everybody. There’s lotsa papers.”

“How about we get back to opening?” Shane nudged gently, tapping the package on Daryl’s lap. 

“He’s just excited, Shane,” Rick told him.

“Yeah, well so are we. I wanna see my baby open his presents.”

Daryl giggled at his daddies and went back to opening the gift on his lap. When all the paper was gone, he looked down and saw a brand new super hero toy. 

“Iron man! He’s my favorite!” 

“We know, bubba,” Rick said with a smile. “That’s why we got him for you.”

“And this one talks and lights up,” Shane told him, sounding just as excited as Daryl was about the toy. 

It was around the fifth present that Daryl started looking towards the door. He watched it for a minute, hoping but nothing. 

“What’s wrong, Sugar,” Dottie asked. Daryl shook his head and quickly went back to unwrapping gifts but now he was distracted. The pile was getting smaller and smaller but there was still someone missing. He looked up at his daddies, biting his lip.

“Can we save some for later?”

Rick and Shane looked at him quizzically. He squirmed in the little nest of wrapping paper that had built up around him. He didn’t want to open them all yet. He wanted Merle to get to see some. But he was gonna run out before he got here if he kept going. 

“Gotta save some for Merle,” he said softly. 

Their expressions turned sad for a moment and they looked to each other, not sure what to say.

“Bud, Merle ain’t gonna make it this year,” Shane said softly.

“Yeah he is,” Daryl insisted. “He’s gotta. I know he’ll be here.”

“Baby,” Rick started.

“If Santa got my letter then Merle’s gonna be here,” Daryl insisted. “I asked him to bring my big brother for my first Christmas.” 

Rick and Shane looked heartbroken upon hearing this. Daryl didn’t like that look. That look meant something was wrong. He looked down at his lap, fiddling with one of the bows.

“Santa ain’t real, is he,” he asked softly.

“Sweetness, sometimes there’s things even Santa can’t do,” Rick told him, voice gentle. “He tries his best but sometimes things just don’t work out.”

“Was I bad,” Daryl asked, eyes welling up with tears.

“Absolutely not,” Shane told him firmly. “C’mere.”

Daryl crawled into his Papa’s lap and curled up against him. 

“Now you listen to me,” Shane said, hugging their boy tightly. “You are the best baby boy anyone could ever have. It has nothing to do with you being good or bad because you were very, very good. Santa just has limits sometimes. I’m sure he tried real hard to get Merle here for you but sometimes things just don’t work out the way we or Santa want them to.”

Daryl curled tighter into Shane, burying half his face in his Papa’s chest. It still stung to know he wasn’t going to get his Christmas wish. “I really wanted my brother,” he sniffled.

Shane sighed sadly and Rick moved to sit beside them, rubbing Daryl’s back. “I know, baby. I know. I wish there was something we could do.”

Suddenly, there was a loud blare of a horn, making them all jump out of their skin. It blew loud and long and it sounded like it was just outside their house. 

“What in the hell is a tractor trailer doin’ on this street on Christmas day,” Shane growled. He got to his feet, ready to go out and give the driver a piece of his mind. Daryl clung to Shane’s hip as they stood and crossed the room. Shane threw open the front door and froze. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

Daryl peeked curiously from where he was hiding against Shane’s neck and gasped. 

“What. I don’t get a hug or nothin’?”

“Merle!” 

His brother was standing outside the passenger door of the big truck, his arms thrown wide. Daryl grinned and squirmed down from Shane’s arms, running in his onesie covered feet to throw himself at his brother. Merle laughed and hugged Daryl tight. 

“I knew you’d make it! I knew you would!”

“Well, I landed some big bucks at one a them blackjack tables. Bought myself a plane ticket and ran into this guy while I was tryna walk to a gas station or sum’m.” He gestured behind him to the truck and Daryl looked up. His jaw dropped and he stared openly at the driver. A man with a bushy, white beard and blue eyes. It couldn’t really be him though. There was no way. The man smiled and gave Daryl a wink and Daryl was grinning from ear to ear.

“I knew you’d come,” Daryl said again, hugging Merle tightly again. Merle laughed and ruffled Daryl’s hair.

“Didn’t just bring me though,” he said.

Daryl looked at him curiously and then looked around for anyone else Merle might have brought with him. Merle stepped away and went to the truck. He opened the passenger door and out jumped the tiniest, fluffiest thing Daryl had ever seen. The little black and tan pup wagged his stumpy little tail, his whole butt wiggling with excitement. Daryl squealed in delight, and dropped to his knees to pet the little puppy. It wriggled and squirmed in Daryl’s lap, kissing his giggling face.

“Merle,” Shane said, arms crossed over his chest and staring him down. “That is a Rottweiler.”

“Sure is,” Merle answered, too busy watching Daryl to notice Shane’s disapproval. “Purebred too. And look at the size a those paws. He’s gonna be a biggun.”

“I love him,” Daryl said hugging the puppy happily. 

Rick stood beside Shane in the doorway, looking a little unsettled by the sudden appearance of a puppy into their lives but neither of them had the heart to tell Daryl he couldn’t keep it. Instead, Rick gave a resigned sigh. “What are you gonna name him?”

“His name is…” Daryl thought it over for a moment, “Walter.”

The puppy wriggled more, spinning in circles in front of him. “Think he likes it,” Merle said. “He’s just a little riled from bein’ the cab for so long. He’ll wear himself out soon.”

Daryl looked up at the man in the truck again. He looked back at Daryl holding his finger to his lips. Daryl mimed zipping his own shut and he gave Daryl an approving smile. Merle took out his bags and with two short honks, the truck pulled away. Daryl scooped Walter into his arms and snuggled him tight. The puppy fought against his hold, wiggling and wriggling to get to his face and licking fervently under his chin, making Daryl giggle. 

“Come on, now. Let’s get in the house where it’s warm,” Merle said, ushering Daryl back to the house. “Too cold to be out here in your pj’s, kid.” 

Daryl followed inside, excited to show everyone his new puppy. “This is the best Christmas ever,” he said happily, leaning into Merle’s side. 

“Yeah? Santa bring you everything you wanted?”

Daryl smiled up at his brother. “He brought me the most important thing on my list. I got you.”

Merle looked at Daryl with a pinched expression that Daryl was starting to understand meant Merle was trying to figure out how to handle such blatant affection. He wasn’t used to being loved like this, still adjusting to this new dynamic between them but he was trying and though he knew better than to ever say it out loud, Daryl was proud of him. He saved Merle from having to answer and just leaned against him.

The day went on with presents being exchanged and toys being opened when Walter climbed into an adult’s lap to nap. There were new board games for them all to play together, Daryl’s favorite being apples to apples. Don’t Wake Daddy was a little too loud when daddy popped up but it was still fun if he covered his ears. Walter was a very smart puppy and was already winning Shane over between his love for Daryl and how quickly he was learning. Shane had him sitting pretty for morsels of ham and Daryl had taught him how to give high fives. When the time came for everyone to head to bed, Daddy and Papa set up a cot in Daryl’s room for Merle. Daryl was thrilled to have his big brother sharing his room and Walter cried and whined until he was allowed into the crib where he promptly curled up on a pillow and went to sleep. 

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep when Merle gently shook him awake. Daryl blinked up at him blearily. 

“Merle? Whassamatter?” He rubbed at his eye tiredly. “You gotta go potty?”

“Come take a peek out the window, little brother,” Merle told him.

Daryl tilted his head curiously and climbed out of the crib. He joined Merle at the window sill, looking out into the back yard. His eyes went big and his jaw dropped. 

“Woooow,” he said softly. “It’s so pretty!”

Outside, the ground glittered and glistened with freshly fallen snow. Falling flakes reflected the moonlight and Daryl watched it all, enraptured.

“Ain’t seen nothin’ like it here,” Merle said, leaning on the sill beside him. Daryl smiled and leaned on his brother’s shoulder.

“Thanks, Santa,” he said softly. “I got everything I wanted.”


End file.
